Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Deputy Chief Executive

The closing date is 22 April 2026

Job summary

Mid and South Essex are seeking to recruit a Deputy Chief Executive to join our Trust, providing strong strategic leadership and support to the Chief Executive and Board in delivering high-quality, safe, and compassionate care, while helping to drive the Trust's vision, values, and long-term transformation agenda.

The Trust Deputy Chief Executive will be a member of the Executive Director Team working directly to the Trust Chief Executive, supporting them in maintaining oversight of the Trust's agenda, including strategy, partnerships, and delivery, within agreed strategic parameters. This includes leadership and delivery of major programmes and their benefits, acting as the SRO as agreed with the Chief Executive.

Please note there is a potential interview date of Monday 27th April.

Main duties of the job

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer will sit at the centre of the Trust's leadership architecture, providing executive leadership across a portfolio of strategic and enabling functions that support the delivery of safe, effective and sustainable services across Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

The postholder will hold direct accountability for the leadership and performance of a number of corporate teams and will ensure that these functions operate as coherent, high-performing services that enable delivery across the Trust.

The Deputy Chief Executive will act as a principal adviser to the Chief Executive and will play a central role in supporting the Chief Executive to coordinate delivery across the executive team and site leadership structures.

About us

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Details

Date posted

15 April 2026

Pay scheme

Very senior manager (VSM)

Salary

£180,000 to £200,000 a year Per Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

390-COR-BA-5981

Job locations

Basildon

Basildon

SS16 5NL


Job description

Job responsibilities

The Deputy Chief Executive will have a a wide range of responsibilities within their role, including

  • Deputising for the Chief Executive Officer as required, acting with defined delegated authority to provide leadership to the organisation and representing the Trust at local, regional and national levels.
  • Supporting the Chief Executive in maintaining oversight of organisational priorities, risk and delivery across the Trust.
  • Provide executive leadership for major strategic programmes and system-level initiatives.
  • Oversee the trusts programme delivery functions, ensuring robust programme governance, delivery management and benefits realisation.
  • Work closely with the Chief Digital Information Officer to ensure alignment between data quality, reporting and analytical capability across the organisation.
  • Provide strong visible leadership across Trust services, and within the divisions, in partnership with the Clinical and Corporate Directors and their teams.

Please refer to the attached job description for more detail.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Deputy Chief Executive will have a a wide range of responsibilities within their role, including

  • Deputising for the Chief Executive Officer as required, acting with defined delegated authority to provide leadership to the organisation and representing the Trust at local, regional and national levels.
  • Supporting the Chief Executive in maintaining oversight of organisational priorities, risk and delivery across the Trust.
  • Provide executive leadership for major strategic programmes and system-level initiatives.
  • Oversee the trusts programme delivery functions, ensuring robust programme governance, delivery management and benefits realisation.
  • Work closely with the Chief Digital Information Officer to ensure alignment between data quality, reporting and analytical capability across the organisation.
  • Provide strong visible leadership across Trust services, and within the divisions, in partnership with the Clinical and Corporate Directors and their teams.

Please refer to the attached job description for more detail.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree standard or equivalent
  • Evidence of continuing professional development and management education to Masters' Level and/or phd level or equivalent experience

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Extensive experience which includes working at executive level within the NHS
  • Significant Director level experience of working in a large and complex NHS Trust
  • Substantial experience of budget management
  • Experience of representing services at a senior level and with external stakeholders
  • Track record in the successful management and leadership of an extensive team, within a performance management culture

Personal and People Development

Essential

  • The skills to evaluate and learn from outcomes, with a clear commitment to innovation, learning and improvement.
  • A credible Leader to all within the team - effective leadership influencing, negotiating and interpersonal skills
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree standard or equivalent
  • Evidence of continuing professional development and management education to Masters' Level and/or phd level or equivalent experience

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Extensive experience which includes working at executive level within the NHS
  • Significant Director level experience of working in a large and complex NHS Trust
  • Substantial experience of budget management
  • Experience of representing services at a senior level and with external stakeholders
  • Track record in the successful management and leadership of an extensive team, within a performance management culture

Personal and People Development

Essential

  • The skills to evaluate and learn from outcomes, with a clear commitment to innovation, learning and improvement.
  • A credible Leader to all within the team - effective leadership influencing, negotiating and interpersonal skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Basildon

Basildon

SS16 5NL


Employer's website

https://www.mse.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Basildon

Basildon

SS16 5NL


Employer's website

https://www.mse.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Chief Executive Officer

Adam Sewell-Jones

a.sewelljones@nhs.net

03004432031

Details

Date posted

15 April 2026

Pay scheme

Very senior manager (VSM)

Salary

£180,000 to £200,000 a year Per Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

390-COR-BA-5981

Job locations

Basildon

Basildon

SS16 5NL


Supporting documents

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